


Together Or Not At All

by awritersparadise000



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-01-21 15:15:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12460413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awritersparadise000/pseuds/awritersparadise000
Summary: When the police say that they're finally going to search the mine, Mike insists on going with them. This leads to Sam following right behind him. However, the consequences that follow make them wish they would've just stayed at home instead.





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> While this isn't the first work I've ever written, it's the first work I've ever published! How exciting! I plan on making this a multi chapter story. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

“There’s no way in hell they think you’ll actually do this.” 

“Well…” 

Sam glared back at him from the kitchen counter. She set her knife down on the cutting board and stalked over to where he was sitting on the couch, hands placed firmly on her hips. 

“You’re not actually considering this are you?” 

He avoided her eyes, mindlessly flipping through the mail they had gotten.

“Answer me!” 

“Fine! I already said that I would go with,” Mike bit his lip, “ and I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Sam crossed her arms, “And what, you were just gonna leave without telling me?”

“No,” he said defensively, “I would’ve told you eventually…”

“Oh, that makes me feel so much better!” 

Mike stood up so he was now looking down at her, setting the envelopes on the coffee table. “Sam, just think about it. What if we could find those things? What if we could prove to everyone that we were right?” 

This made her stop and think for a moment. Proving to everyone that they weren’t really crazy, that there really was something on that mountain that killed all of their friends, not just some psycho killer like people seemed to believe. It was a tempting offer, but not nearly enough to make her want to go back.

Sam shook her head, “After all the shit we went through up there? No way Mike. It’s not worth it.” 

“Hey, I never said you had to come with. If I go, I’ll be going by myself.”

She scoffed, “You really think I’d let you go all alone?”

“Well you’re sure as hell not coming with me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I should probably start packing.” Mike said, shoving past her to get to their bedroom.

Sam looked at him with wide eyes, her anger turning to fear. “No, no, Mike, don’t go. Please, don’t go,” she begged, stumbling over her words as she followed him. He ignored her, grabbing a suitcase from under their bed and carelessly putting clothes into it.

“You can’t go! You can’t just leave me here, worrying about you every night that you’re gone. Michael! Are you even listening to me?!” She shoved him in the back, trying desperately to get his attention. He simply grabbed the bag and headed towards the front door with Sam following close behind him. 

Just as he was about to leave Sam jumped in front of the door, blocking the way. “You’re so fucking stubborn! You’re a stubborn dumbass! Why are you doing this to me!” Mike finally looked her in the eyes and saw that she was crying. He felt a pang of regret in his heart, but refused to back down yet. 

“Come on Sammy, this is ridiculous. I need to do this.” 

She began hitting and shoving at his chest, trying her best to push him backwards. She eventually made him stumble back a bit, but fell to her knees in the process. 

Seeing her this broken, on the floor and bawling her eyes out is what broke Mike. He dropped his bag and knelt down beside her. Mike gathered Sam up in his arms, rubbing comforting circles on her back. 

Sam let him hold her, burying her face in his chest. She gripped the back of his jacket as tight as possible. “Why do you want to go back? What’s so important that you need to go back to a place so awful? And don’t you dare say it’s to prove everyone wrong, because we both know that’s not that important to you.” She said, choking on her tears as the words came out. 

“Sammy,” Mike began, trying his best not to start crying as well, “I need to go back there. Those monsters are still out there. The police, they never said I had to go there with them. They only said I was welcome to come with the search party if I wanted to. But if they go into those mines by themselves, we both know that they won’t come out alive. The wendigo’s are too strong. They don’t know what they’re messing with. And if I have to see anyone else die because of those things, even just one more person, I won’t be able to live with myself. Especially if I knew I could’ve prevented it.”

The tears were now spilling from his eyes as well. Sam looked into them, placing her hands on his face and wiping away his tears with her thumbs. She understood what he meant. Having to see all the people she cared about most get killed by those demon’s, she would never wish that upon anyone else. Those police officers had husbands, wives, kids, friends. People who would be crushed if they were found dead. And as strong as the officers were, they had no idea what they were about to get themselves into. If they went alone then there would be at least one of them that ended up dead, probably more.

Sam wiped her own eyes and nodded, “Okay, let’s go then.” 

Mike shook his head, “No Sammy, you can’t come with me.”

“I need to Mike-”

“No you don’t. What if you came with and something happened to you? I’ve already lost-” he stopped, unable to say Jessica’s name, “I’ve already lost one person I love in those mountains. If I lost you too…” 

Sam pulled herself into Mike’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. In return, he rested his head on her shoulder and quietly sobbed. After he had calmed down a bit, Sam spoke again.

“I know you lost the person you loved up there, but so did I. So what if I lost you too? I can’t stand the thought of me laying here every night while you’re gone, wondering if you’re okay. You can’t ask me to suffer through that.” Sam’s voice began to shake. “You’re the only person who understands what happened that night, Mike. The only person alive who knows why I’m so afraid or what fills my nightmares. If you died up there… I’d rather die with you than have to be completely alone.” 

He considered her words. If she was the one who was insisting on leaving him here to worry about her every single night, he isn’t sure he could handle it either. If he lost her-

“Besides,” she said, interrupting his thoughts, “I think we’re a lot stronger as a team, don’t you?” 

Mike chuckled and nodded. “We are pretty badass together.”

She smiled. “Then let’s do this together.”

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, not caring that they were still wet from the tears. “Together or not at all.”


	2. Return to Blackwood Mountain

The next morning came all too soon for Sam’s liking. She was woken up by the strips of light shining in through the blinds. Shielding her eyes, she turned to the right to see Mike still fast asleep. His face was smushed against the pillow and a bit of drool was coming from his mouth. The clock on the bedside table behind him read 6:22 a.m. That didn’t really surprise her. She was naturally an early riser. 

As quietly as she could, Sam got out of bed, careful not to disturb Mike. After stretching, she grabbed her panties and Mike’s shirt off the floor. She slipped them on and walked out into the living room.

The early morning outside leaves the house peaceful. She opens the curtains and pulls out her yoga mat from the corner of the room. Morning yoga and a good breakfast always helped her to feel nice and awake. She rolled out the mat and got to work. 

Usually yoga helped to clear out her mind, but today it wasn’t doing much good. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what could happen today. It would be the first day of a week long search. The police station was kind enough to pay for a room at a nearby hotel and meals for the week, but that didn’t ease her nerves in the slightest. There was so many different things that could go wrong. She pushed those graphic images out of her mind and steadied her breathing. 

“I gotta say, I’m loving the show.” 

Sam jumped out of her skin, nearly losing her balance. She turned around to see Mike leaning against the doorframe of their bedroom. He wore nothing more than a pair of plaid boxers and his signature smirk that made her feel weak in the knees. 

“I swear Michael, one of these days you’re gonna scare me to death.” 

He chuckled and walked towards her, “I hardly doubt that would ever happen.” He put his hands on the small of her back. “How are you feeling about today?” 

“Scared out of my mind. You?” 

He shrugged, “Can’t say I’m feeling any better.” 

Sam nodded before picking up her mat and rolling it up. She placed it back into the corner. Mike came up behind her, massaging her all too tense shoulders. 

“Mmmm, your hands can work magic…” 

“I believe you told me something like that last night as well.” 

Sam turned around and playfully smacked him. He leaned down and kissed her forehead in response. 

“Come on Sammy, we need to get ready. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.” 

 

Later That Night, 7:49 p.m

 

That evening, after Sam and Mike had arrived in British Columbia, the seven police officers insisted on going out to a nice dinner. They promised that it was nothing terribly fancy, just a nice meal before the search began. 

“Think of it as our way of saying thank you for coming with. It’s a nice little home town buffet, I think that you’ll both really enjoy it.” 

They were expected to meet up with everyone else at the restaurant by 7:30 and were running nearly 20 minutes late. By the time they got there everyone else was already seated at the table. A few people eyed them, but most didn’t seem to mind all that much. 

“Great,” one of the ladies, assumingly the leader of the search said, “now that we are all here, I would like to thank you all for volunteering to come on this mission today. I’m hoping that we all have good luck in finding the killer who caused such a tragedy.” 

Mike gave Sam a quick glance from the side, and Sam gave him a sad smile before returning her attention to the woman. 

“And thank you to Mike and Sam for agreeing to come here with us. I doubt it’s easy to come back to the place where such horror happened only a year ago.” 

They both smiled and nodded at everyone who thanked them as well. 

“Now please everyone, let’s eat!” 

Everyone began getting up from their chairs and going to get their food. As Sam and Mike got up, the woman walked over to greet them. 

“I don’t believe I’ve properly introduced myself. I’m officer Mason, the one who’s heading this investigation.” 

They each shook her hand and offered her warm smiles. 

“Once again officer, thank you for inviting us to come with” Mike said. 

“Of course! We could use all the help we could get, and who’s better than someone who knows what we’re heading into. Now, that’s enough talk of what’s to come. For now let’s eat.” 

Mason moved past them to the buffet, with Sam and Mike following close behind. 

“Do you think they’re taking us seriously?” 

Mike shrugged. “Hard to say. It seems like at the very least officer Mason is, but honestly I wouldn’t be all that surprised if they didn’t. No one ever does.” 

Sam scoffed, “They will after this trip.” 

She grabbed a variety of things like chicken wings, a couple pizza slices, mashed potatoes, jello, and some vanilla ice cream just for the hell of it. Together they walked back to the table and set their plates down. 

“I’ll be right back,” Mike said motioning towards the bathrooms. He quickly kissed Sam’s cheek, then walked off. 

After she had seated herself, one of the police officers sat down next to her. They glanced at each other, offering polite smiles. The police officer offered his hand. 

“I’m Wren, I don’t believe we’ve met before.” 

She shook her head, shaking his hand, “I don’t remember seeing you the last time I was here.” 

“No, I only started working here a few months ago.” 

“Is this your first task?” 

“My first big one,” he chuckled, “it’s a bit nerve racking to be honest. But what can I say, I’m eager to please.” He added a wink at the end for effect. 

Oh, he’s one of those guys. 

Sam dropped her smile for a moment, before politely smiling back at him and turning her attention towards her food. She wiped her hands off on her napkin and reached for her fork. 

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” 

Mike came back and sat down to Sam’s left. She smiled at him and grabbed his hand. 

“Wren, this is my boyfriend Mike,” she said, putting emphasis on the word “boyfriend”.

Mike nodded and smiled, stretching his arm out across Sam’s chest, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Of course, it’s nice to meet you too Mike.” He said, shaking Mike’s left hand. His eyes widen at the sight of his missing fingers. 

“Wow! What happened?” 

Sam felt his hand tense in her’s before he responded. “It’s nothing, really.” 

Wren gave him a wary look before dropping the subject. The rest of the dinner continued on peacefully, with everyone quietly talking amongst themselves. A few of the officers asked them questions, things like “Are the press finally giving you a break? For a while, you were all they wanted to talk about” or “Are you guys sleeping alright? I know I would certainly have trouble sleeping after a nightmare like that!”, to which they answered as politely as possible. But after a while it got on Mike’s nerves. It seemed like they weren’t taking anything that was happening seriously. 

He gently nudged Sam’s arm to get her attention. “Do you think it’s too late to change my mind about all this?” 

Sam chuckled, “Remember, it was your idea to come here.” 

“I just feel like everyone here is making a joke out of this whole thing.” 

“I know what you mean.” 

Officer Mason got everyone’s attention, “Once again, thank you everyone for coming with,” she checked her watch, “We should all meet at the gates to the mountain at 10:30. We will begin our search at 11pm. That leaves you all a couple hours to get yourselves cleaned up and ready to go. I’ll see everyone in a little bit.” 

Once she finished people began to disperse. Mike and Sam were on their way out when Wren ran up behind them. 

“Hey, Sam,” he looked towards Mike for a moment, “do you mind if I have a word with her? I promise it’ll be quick.” 

Mike eyed him, but nodded and kissed Sam on the cheek, making the most obnoxious smacking sound as he pulled away. Sam smirked and glared at him.

“I’ll go warm the car up.” 

Sam looked back at him as he walked away before returning her attention to Wren. “What’s up?” 

“Are all the rumors true?” 

She scoffed, “Which ones? The one’s about us killing our best friends or the one’s about us burning the lodge down on purpose.” 

“No, I want to know about the monsters. Are they real?” 

Sam’s breath caught in her throat. “If I said yes, would you think I’m crazy like everyone else?” 

He shrugged, “Maybe a little bit.” 

“Well I’ll tell you this: they’re as real as anything else on this planet. They’re real enough to have kept me awake through the night with terrifying nightmares and real enough to make me jump at even the smallest sudden noises. But don’t worry, I’m sure that you’ll figure that out for yourself tonight.” 

Wren nodded, seeming more tense now. They both stood in the parking lot for a moment before he reached inside his pocket and pulled something out. 

“If you don’t feel like spending the night with your boyfriend, feel free to stop by. My room number is 114,” he said, handing her a plastic key card, “either way, I’ll see you in a little bit.” 

She watched as he walked towards his car, slightly more irritated. She scoffed and shoved the card in her pocket as she headed over towards the car. 

“What did he want?” Mike asked as Sam got inside. 

She shook her head and buckled up. “Just more annoying questions. Oh, and he gave me this” She held up the key for him to see. 

He raised an eyebrow, “Gonna get lucky tonight?” 

Sam put the card back into her pocket, “Maybe if you play your cards right” She said with a smirk. 

Mike laughed, “I guess I should hurry back then. We do have a couple hours after all.” 

 

Mount Washington, 10:27 p.m     
  

The drive there was a long and quiet one. The air tonight was heavy and damp, feeling as though it could start raining any second. Sam watched the trees pass by outside the window, lost in memories of a year ago. Memories with friends and the fun times she shared with them, and memories of heartbreak after they were gone. 

Mike glanced at her from the drivers seat, his heart feeling less empty as she was sat next to him. He smiled to himself and grabbed her hand, brushing his lips against the soft skin. She turned towards him at the contact, her gaze full of love for him. 

“Sammy,” Mike began, “If something happens tonight…” 

Her eyes went stone cold, “Stop right there. We are gonna be fine. Nothing could happen to us when we have seven police officers with us.” Sam said, mustering up as much courage as she could. 

“And last year we thought that nothing worse could happen on those mountain’s than two girls disappearing. But something worse did happen. And I just… I’m scared to death.” He pulled up to the entrance and parked the car, not quite ready to get out. Everyone was there, waiting patiently for them. He fell back against the leather seat. “I’m not sure I could go through something that awful again. What if I lose you for good this time?” 

“You’re not gonna lose me.” 

“Anything could happen tonight-” 

Sam reached across the seat, resting her hand on Mike’s cheek. “Listen to me Michael. We have both grown so much stronger since the last time we were here. Even if,” she stops to take a deep breath, “even if something does happen, we can sure as hell handle it. We do this together, remember?” 

Mike solemnly nodded, still fighting back all the horrendous thoughts he was having. Sam looked at him, wishing she could do something to help him with his thoughts, even if hers weren’t much better. Then an idea popped into her head. 

“Here,” she said, taking her bracelet off her wrist and handing it to him, “keep this with you. Maybe it’ll help you to feel a little better.” 

Mike examined the jewelry in his hands. It was Sam’s absolute favorite thing, she never took it off. 

“Are you sure?” 

She smiled and nodded. 

He leaned in and kissed her as his way of saying thank you. 

“Hey lovebirds, let’s get going!” 

They both jumped at Wren banging at the car window. Reluctantly they pulled apart and got out. 

Hand in hand they walked up to the gate, glancing at everyone else. They were all dressed in heavy winter gear. This included everything from hats to gloves and boots. Most of them carried pistols as well. 

“Hey, do we get one of those?” Mike said, motioning to Wren’s gun. 

He shook his head, “Afraid not.” 

“Is everyone ready to go?” Mason asked, looking around at everyone to make sure they had everything that they needed, “alright, let’s get going then.”


	3. The Wren Incident

The walk towards the cable car was painfully quiet. Officer Mason led them, with Mike and Sam in the back and the rest of the force somewhere in between. Everyone was quietly talking amongst themselves. Mike was more nervous about this than he was willing to admit. After all, he and Sam hadn’t had to deal with this place since last year. It took a long time for them to get better, but even now they weren’t fully recovered. Mike noticed when Sam jumped from sudden noises and he was fully aware that it was a lot harder for him to go outside when there was a snow storm. The cold air lashing at his face often brought him back to that night. So yes, coming back here wasn’t exactly the first thing on his bucket list, but if he had to see even one more person die on this stupid mountain he’d surely lose it. 

Their group stopped once they reached the cable car station. 

“Mike, you mentioned there was some suspicious activity in the sanitorium the last time you were here?” Officer Mason asked, catching his attention from his thoughts. 

He nodded, “Something like that.” 

“Alright, then here’s the game plan. I want to go with Mike to check out the sanitorium. Trent will be coming with us. That leaves Wren, Allyson and Dimitri to go with Sam to check out the mines. When we meet up again in the morning we can put together evidence and decide on our game plan for the rest of the week.” 

Mike looked at her in shock. “There’s no way in hell that’s happening. I’m not leaving Sam alone, especially not here.” 

She nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile, “I’m sorry but I feel like splitting up the group will be the best course of action to take. We will cover a lot more ground much faster this way.” 

“But we have all week! Can’t we search the mines today and search the sanitorium tomorrow?” 

“I’m afraid not. I’d like to investigate both today to see which I’d rather spend the most time searching through this week. I don’t want to waste energy at the sanitorium if there’s nothing there to find.” 

“You don’t understand-” 

“Mike,” Sam stopped him mid-sentence, “It’s ok. It’s just one day. The rest of the week we’ll be together.” 

He looked down at Sam. He could tell that she was tense, which only made him even more upset. “What are you talking about? Sammy, you said it yourself. We do this together or not at all. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you go with people who don’t even know what they’re dealing with.” 

She nodded, “I know, I know, but it will just be one day. I know where the,” she paused,” trouble spots are, I’ll just make sure the group steers clear of them.” 

“I assure you Michael, our officers are very well trained. Samantha will be in good hands.” Mason added. 

Mike looked Sam in the eyes. He could easily see just how afraid she truly was. Even so, he knew once she had her mind set on something that she wouldn’t back down from it. She wanted to prove to everyone that she could manage without him, so that’s what she was gonna do. 

He glared at Officer Mason but nodded. “But I swear, if anything happens to her-” 

“I promise my officers will do everything in their power to keep her safe.” 

“Remember,” Sam said, resting her hand on his pants pocket that held her bracelet, “I’ll be there with you.” 

He gave her a half smile, doing his best to calm down. Sam raised her eyebrow in amusement. She stood up on her tiptoes and pecked his lips. 

“It’s time to head out! We meet back here at five! Remember, it’s important that we-” 

Mike looked down at Sam, only half listening to what Mason was saying. Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t survived through hell up on these mountains. This should be a piece of cake. He leaned down, returning Sam’s kiss. He lingered longer than she had, and when he pulled away he wrapped his arm around her side, pulling her close against him. She rested her head on his arm. 

“Everyone will get walkie talkies for this. Since phone reception will be spotty at best up here, I want everyone to have some sort of contact in case of an emergency. That way if anything happens and you get separated from your team, you will still be able to find out where they are.” Mason said, addressing Mike specifically. She walked around to everyone and handed out the walkie talkies. 

“After the cable car ride up we can all walk to the entrance of the mine. From there myself, Wilson, Trent, and Michael will head up to the sanitorium while the rest of you can begin searching underground. Got it?”

Each person nodded in understanding. 

“Great!” Mason smiled. She unlocked the door to the station and everyone piled inside. They all stood on the deck, waiting for the cable car to come back. 

Sam stood by the railing with Mike right by her side. She tried admiring the view of the mountains. It was hard for her to see such a beautiful place without remembering what happened last year. Sure, it was pretty. But she knew from experience that the prettiest things in life often held the biggest secrets. 

“Samantha, Michael, would you like to take the first car up with me?” Mason asked them as the car made its way down the line. Mike looked towards Sam and she shrugged. 

“Sure, why not.” 

As it pulled up and the doors slid open they each stepped inside, Mike slid the door shut behind them and took a seat next to Sam. The car jolted forward and they began their rise farther up the mountains. 

Mike noticed that Sam was nervously playing with her hands. It was one of her habits that he had picked up on over the course of them living together. She would do anything possible to keep herself busy when she was nervous, from cracking her knuckles (which he secretly hated, even though he would never tell her that) to rubbing a phantom itch on her nose. He might even find it cute if he didn’t know that her doing it meant that she was uncomfortable. 

The ride up took roughly five minutes, barely long enough for an awkward silence to form between themselves. Thankfully though, the ride wasn’t painfully long and soon enough everyone exited. Now all that was left was to wait for the rest of the crew to make it up the mountain as well. 

They sat together on the bench just outside the tiny station. Mason looked rather calm compared to them, with her hands set patiently in her lap. She seemed to be rather enjoying the view the mountains offered; her gaze glued to the scenery. 

Sam, on the other hand looked like a jumble of different things. Mike could tell just how worried and stressed out this place was making her. You wouldn't be able to tell just from her tone of voice or from the way she expressed herself, but Mike knew her much better than that. 

A yawn escaped from her lips and she leaned into his side. Mike chuckled. 

“Is someone ready for bedtime?” 

At this she just shrugged. This surprised Mike; he was expecting a witty comeback or maybe a punch in the arm, but not no response at all. She must really be out of it. 

“These past couple days have just been a lot to take in. I feel emotionally exhausted.” He nodded in understanding and wrapped his arm around her. 

Mike took a long look around. He knew coming back was going to be hard for him, that wasn’t exactly a secret. But he didn’t think it would make his heart ache this bad. He thought back to the snowball fight Jess and him had had that night. A ghost smile played on his lips at the sweet memory. Then he began remembering the rest of the night and his smile was gone in a flash. He could hear Jessica’s pleas for help, could see her nearly naked body being dragged through the snow. He remembered reaching out to touch her bruised and bloody body before it fell deep into the mine. 

He took a deep breath and shook the image from his head. He can’t afford to be thinking about that right now. The only thing he needs to focus on is keeping Sammy safe. 

Mike glanced down at her. She looked so tiny, so fragile. He knew that wasn't the case, however. He had seen her beat a few Wendigos to death and in all honesty it was impressive as hell. He knew she could handle herself just fine, but that didn't stop his strong urge to keep her safe. Seeing what happened to Jessica and to the rest of his friends, seeing just how badly he failed them broke him inside. If anything happened to Sam when he knew he could have protected her, if she… 

No, he can't think about that. He shouldn't even be worrying about that. He and Sam were gonna be just fine. They would return safe and sound to their cozy little home and they would go back to their normal happy lives. They'd forget about this place all together and everything would be okay. 

The door to the station slammed open, causing Sam to jump. Mike looked past her to see Wren and the other officers coming out of the station, all laughing and smiling. Mike returned his attention to Sam, gently rubbing her side to calm her down from the sudden scare. 

Officer Mason smiled at them. “Alright, now that everyone's here, let’s continue our walk.” She said, grabbing her backpack from off the bench. She walked towards the forest, leading the group through its many trails. 

 

*****

 

They reached the entrance to the mines at around 11 p.m, right on time. It was only growing colder outside, evident by Sam at Mike’s side nearly freezing to death. Even though he had barely removed his arm from around her since they had gotten there, she still shook violently. 

The mine’s entrance was poorly covered up with a few rotting wood boards. It was very clearly in a state of disrepair and Mike was less than thrilled at the idea of Sam going back in there. He had found the map, he saw just how close the whole thing was to breaking down. 

Everyone stood around awaiting further instructions from Officer Mason, who was currently digging through her bag in search of something. Sam gently tugged on Mike’s sleeve, bringing her to his attention. 

“I'm not so sure about this anymore…” 

His expression turned worried, “What do you mean?” 

Sam bit her lip, “I don't think I can go in there alone Mike. Just thinking about it is making me anxious. I thought I might be able to handle it, but the closer we get the worse I feel about it.” 

“Alright,” Mason said, “I've got some maps for everyone going in the mines-” 

Sam looked at Mike with a panicked expression. “I don't think I can do this, I don’t think I can-” 

“Is everything alright?” Mason asked once she reached Sam. 

Sam looked at her, the words stuck in her throat. 

“I-I just, um…” 

“Actually, I changed my mind. I want Sam to come with me. Like I mentioned before, I just don’t feel comfortable with the idea of not being with her. She kinda keeps me sane in these sorts of situations. I’d feel a lot more comfortable if she were with me.” Mike explained to Officer Mason. Sam offered him a thankful look. 

“I've already explained this before Michael, I just don't know that that will be the best plan. It will take much longer if we spend a day searching each place-” 

“Besides,” Wren cut in, “If you were so worried about being by yourself in the first place why did you even come with?” 

Mason glared at him, “Wren-” 

“No, it's a genuine question. We wanted you here to help, not to try and run the entire show yourself. 

“Stop it Wren. He was only asking a question.” 

“Right, because he just can't handle the thought of being anywhere without his girl,” Wren stalked closer to them, coming uncomfortably close to Sam, “or maybe the real problem here isn't Mike after all.” 

Sam scoffed at him, “You're just mad that you couldn't get into my pants.” 

“Like I would want to sleep with someone like you anyway. There’s only one way you could get with a jock like him, and it’s not by being a pure little angel.” He crossed his arms and started walking away from them. 

“Besides, she probably has all kinds of diseases…” Wren said, barely loud enough to hear. 

Before he knew it Sam was on his ass. She, quite literally, beat Mike to the punch. Sam had pushed Wren to the ground and was throwing punches at him left and right. She pulled at his blonde curls and knocked him so hard in the face that it gave him a black eye. As much as Mike wanted to let her continue, he ran over to her and picked her up off of him. 

Once the situation calmed down, Officer Mason looked between Sam and Wren in anger. 

“I can't believe this! I might as well be looking after a couple of little kids!” She closed her eyes and shook her head, “I personally don’t care who was right and who was wrong in your little argument. You’ve got the rest of the week to work this out like the adults you are. As much as I hate to do this, I do care for Sam’s well being, and since you two clearly can’t handle being around each other for more than a couple minutes, Wren and Trent will be swapping groups. I don’t want to deal with you guys fighting anymore and getting each other killed. Now come on, we've wasted enough time.” 

Sam looked at the ground in shame, some of the other officers staring at her in shock. Mike stepped into her field of vision. He looked down at her, a sad smile plastered on his face.

“I’m sorry… I don’t know what came over me.” 

Mike chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Don't worry, if you hadn't done it first I would've gladly done it for you.” 

Sam smiled, wiping away some tears that had started forming in her eyes.

“Come on Michael!” Officer Mason yelled, already walking away with Wren.

“Guess that’s my queue to go.” 

Sam nodded, “I don’t need you getting yourself in trouble as well.” 

“Michael!” 

Mike flinched, “Alright, I’m coming!” He quickly kissed Sam on the forehead before running to join up with them.

Sam wrapped her arms around herself, watching Mike make his way towards the sanitorium. Her smile faded as he went, the fear of him leaving slowly setting in, along with the realization that this very well might be the last time that she could ever see him.


	4. New Faces, Old Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 is finally up! 
> 
> I apologize for the wait between chapters, but I had some writer's block. After finishing the first three chapters, I realized I didn't know where I wanted to go from there. I've always known how I wanted this story to begin and end, but I had no inbetween. So to fix that problem I spent nearly a week creating an outline for the story. It's 10 pages long and goes over exactly what I'd like to happen in each chapter. So hopefully writer's block shouldn't be a problem anymore.
> 
> Buckle up guys, because there's a long ride ahead

Sam’s POV

11:23 p.m

“Well, thank goodness he’s gone. I certainly wasn't looking forward to having him come with us.” Allyson chuckled. When Sam turned her attention towards her, Allyson walked over and held out her hand. 

“I’m Allyson. I don't believe I’ve had the time to properly introduce myself yet. Personally, I'm pretty excited to have you on our team. Anyone who has the guts to put Wren in his place is an instant friend of mine.” She said with a bright smile. Sam shook her hand and smiled back. 

Allyson seemed like the type of person that everyone loved to be around. She had flowing, long, blonde hair and fair skin much like Sam. Her personality was light and bubbly, yet at the same time she seemed serious and determined.

“And this,” she continued, gesturing behind her, “is Trent and Dimitri.”

Trent and Dimitri both came up to Sam. Trent, like Allyson, extended his hand out for Sam to shake. Dimitri, on the other hand, just smiled and nodded at her. 

Allyson looked around at everyone in the group, “Let’s get to it!”

They walked over to the mines entrance and one by one dropped down the ledge.

The mine was wet, moisture covering the rock walls. The entrance itself was pretty bland. Sam doubted there would be anything of intrigue until they got deeper inside the twisting caverns. 

Trent looked back to Sam, “Are you nervous?” 

She shook her head, but she knew that he didn't believe her. 

The walk through the tunnels began as quiet. No one seemed to be bothered by it except for her. Allyson must have sensed this because she slowed her pace to match Sam's.

“Just so you know I'm 100% on your side, Wren's a complete asshole”

Sam glanced at her, curious. “Has he hit on you too?” 

She scoffed. “Are you kidding me? I'm pretty sure he's hit on every single girl in the force. Most of the guys as well, now that I think about it.”

“Has anyone ever fallen for it?” 

Allyson shook her head. “Never. You see,” she began, gesturing with her hands as she told the story, “Wren and Trent use to have a thing.They started dating while they were in training, it lasted for like two years or something. But Wren had quite the temper and eventually Trent got sick of it. So he broke up with him and Wren was pissed. Once they got into the force Wren tried to do anything possible to make Trent jealous, but everyone knew better than to take the bait. So if it makes you feel better you aren't the only one.”

“I can't say it does…”

The silence continued for only a moment before Allyson spoke up again.

“I've heard a lot of people at the station talking about this mission. They say there's some pretty weird lore behind it.”

Sam's heart dropped to her stomach. “Like what?”

“Depends who you ask. But a lot of them say there's rumor about something on this mountain. A serial killer, a-"

“A monster?” 

Allyson nodded. “Yeah, a monster.”

Sam sighed, “Listen, I know it sounds crazy but I swear it's real. I saw them with my own eyes. These things, they're just-”

“It's ok Sam, I believe you.”

Her eyes widened, “You really believe me?”

Allyson nodded, “I do.”

“But…why?” Sam stuttered, “Not that I'm saying I'm lying, I'm just use to people not believing me and Mike.” 

Allyson shrugged, “I don't know, you just don't come off as the type of person who would make things up just for a good story.”

“Guys, come look at this!” 

Allyson and Sam turned their attention towards Trent and Dimitri, who were waving them over. They picked up their pace to see what all the fuss was about.

“Check all this cool shit out!” Trent beamed, “Dimitri and I nearly walked past it. Good thing we stopped to check it out.” 

It seemed to be some sort of hide out. The den contained a scrappy table with books and papers strewn across it. Next to it there was a box holding all sorts of weapons. There was even a makeshift bed in the corner. All the stuff seemed strangely familiar to Sam. That’s when it hit her. 

“Guys, I think I know who this all belongs to.” Everyone turned to her, giving her looks to continue.

“On that night last year we met an old man. He had been living on the mountains for forever.”

“Why would someone choose to live up here?” Dimitri asked. 

“He was fighting off…” Sam paused, considering if it was even worth it to bring it up, “he was fighting off the wendigos that live on the mountains.” 

Dimitri and Trent stared at her, clearly not believing a word she was saying.

“Anyway…” Allyson said, bringing the attention off of Sam, “Some of this stuff looks pretty cool. Maybe we could use some of it?” 

Trent shrugged, “I don’t see why not. It’s not like the old guy’s gonna miss it or anything.” 

They began digging through all the different papers, looking for anything of use. 

Allyson showed everyone a drawn on map, “What about this?”

Sam took it from her, examining it. All over the map were drawings and notes, stating different sorts of things about sections of the mines. 

She nodded, “This will definitely come in handy later.” She glanced at the box next to Trent’s feet, spotting a knife inside it.

“Trent, could you hand me that knife there?”

He looked down at the box and picked up the knife, “This one?”

Sam nodded and reached out to take it, but Dimitri got the knife before she had the chance. 

“Wait a second,” Dimitri said, “How do we know that you’re gonna be safe with this thing?” 

Sam raised her eyebrow and firmly put her hands on her hips, “Are you saying that you don’t trust me?”

He shook his head, “That’s not what I mean. All I’m saying is I don’t want my hand to get chopped off because you don’t know how to use a knife.”

She sighed and looked around the room, “Alright, I’ll prove it to you then.” She pointed across the room to a mask hanging on the wall above the bed. “If I can hit that right on the nose, you let me keep the knife.” 

Dimitri glared at her, but gave her the knife anyway, “Fine, but I seriously doubt that-”

He’s cut short as Sam takes a couple steps, gets her aim just right, and tosses the knife at the mask. It hits it with a thunk, sticking the mask right at the tip of the nose.

Sam crossed her arms and smirked at him, completely satisfied with herself.

Allyson chuckled, “If you two are done now, I think we should take a better look at this map. Maybe one of the area’s on it could hold some decent evidence.” 

Sam pried the knife out of the mask and places it in her belt. She then walks over to the table where the map has been laid out. 

“It says here that these areas are prone to collapses, so I say we steer clear of those bits. Other than that everything else looks safe enough. As for where we should go first,” Allyson stops for a moment to think, carefully examining the map, “this part right here seems like a good place to start. There are a lot of notes pertaining to this section, so it seems worthwhile to check out.” She looked around to the rest of the group. “Sound good?”

Everyone glanced at each other and nodded.

She smiled, nodding as well. “We’d best get a move on it then.”

 

Mike’s POV

“I swear, if I hear you complain one more time I’m gonna give you another black eye.” 

Wren glared at Mike, “Hey, it’s not my fault. If someone knew how to control their girlfriend we wouldn’t be having this problem in the first place.” 

“I’m gonna pretend to ignore that.” Mike muttered, crossing his arms.

After a few more minutes of walking and listening to Wren complain, he could see the sanitorium in the distance. It seemed relatively the same since the last time he saw it, at least from afar. 

They carefully slid down the hill towards the building. The closer they got, the more nervous Mike felt. He knew the horrors that awaited them inside, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to face them once again. He perfectly remembers the tale of the miners, he remembers seeing the pictures that showed their bodies slowly deforming over time. He clearly remembers the first time he encountered one. It’s skin was gray and rotting, covering long, unnatural limbs. It’s teeth were yellow and sharp, eager to dig into Mike’s flesh. 

“Michael?” Officer Mason said, snapping Mike out of his thoughts.

“Hm? Yeah, sorry. What were you saying?”

“I was saying that we need to be careful going in here. There could be anything waiting for us inside.” She stared at him, a look of concern plastered on her face, “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything’s just fine,” He replied, trying to brush the question off. 

Officer Mason didn’t buy it for a second, but nodded anyway and returned her attention to the front steps of the sanitorium.

They stood outside of the door, examining the piece of wood as it was close to falling off the hinges. Flurries of snow blew inside, resting at the foot of the doorstep.

Officer Mason gently nudged the door, glancing around before stepping inside. One by one they entered, each surveying the area around them. The place was only a little more beaten down since before. Pieces of wood and chunks of broken stone were scattered around the floor. It was nearly as cold as it was outside in the sanitorium.

Wren pointed to a room labelled ‘admin’s office’, “I’m gonna start looking over here.”

Mike wondered off into the main entrance. The ceiling arched over him, bits of moonlight shining in through the holes in the dome. 

He started the search by digging through the wreckage. He pushed aside some of the rubble, but found nothing more than trash and a couple of rusty nails. He tossed them aside and continued. 

“Hey, come check this out!” Wren said, motioning for Mike to come towards him. 

He made his way into the tiny room, slightly frustrated. “What is it?”

“I found this,” he said, handing Mike an old, broken camera. 

Mike held it in his hands, examining it carefully. It didn’t seem like the same camera he found before, but he wouldn’t be surprised if it belonged to the same person.

“Why would there be a camera just laying around in an old mental hospital?”

Mike sighed, “Let’s just say that this place has an interesting history.”

“Please, do tell.” 

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.” 

Wren looked frustrated, but didn’t bother him further. Instead he bent over and picked up a brick. He smirked, weighing it in his hands.

“Wanna have some fun?”

Mike rolled his eyes, “Does it look like I’m here to play games with you?”

“No, but a little fun never hurt anyone.” he said before chucking the brick a little too close to Mike’s head. It hit the wall behind him, smashing into smaller chunks.

Mike ducked away from it just in time. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Wren shrugged, “Just trying to pass the time.”

“By nearly killing me?!”

“Hey, whatever works.” 

“If you two could stop bickering for a moment and come over here and help me, that’d be great.”

They both stopped their fighting to go over and help Officer Mason. Once they were over by her, she gestured to the door she was trying to open.

“This seems like it may be a good area to investigate, but the door’s locked. Would you two help me bust it open?”

“It was locked the first time I came here too. I know there’s a path round back that’ll get us there just as well.” 

Officer Mason looked at him in thought, “It’s worth a shot I suppose. Where do we start?”

Mike motioned to his left, “We’ll have to pass through the morgue and a couple other rooms. It shouldn’t take all that long.” 

Wren groaned, “The morgue, perfect. I was itching to see some dead bodies today.”

“Don’t worry, I imagine you can’t see much out of that black eye anyway,” Mike said, smirking to himself. 

He scowled, “Yeah, no thanks to your little Sammy. If you want, I can gladly repay the favor.”

“I swear, if you so much as lay a finger on her-” 

BANG

Everyone stopped, too stunned at the sudden noise to say anything.

“What the hell was that?” Wren asked.

Officer Mason pulled out her gun from her belt, holding it out in front of her, “I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.”


	5. New Places, Old Faces

Sam’s POV

11:52 p.m

Dimitri huffed, “Are you sure you’re reading that stupid thing right?”

Allyson nodded, “I’m pretty sure I am…” 

“Clearly you’re not because if you were I’m sure we would’ve gotten there already. Here, just give me that,” He said, snatching the map from Allyson’s hands. He looked at it thoughtfully, twisting it around in his hands for a moment before sighing, “Yeah, you’ve got me beat.”

“Mind if I have a try at it?” Sam asked, holding out her hand. Dimitri shrugged and handed the map over to her. 

She held it out in front of her as she examined it. Their destination was circled in red and they seemed to be a good distance away from it. She considered all the possible paths that could lead to there, trying to decide which way would get them there the quickest. 

“Well, not too far ahead there should be a right we can take. From there we can walk until we reach what looks to be a drop off that we can climb down. After that it should be dead ahead,” she looked up to make sure everyone was following along with her, “Sound good?” 

Allyson smiled and nodded, “Thanks for the help, without you we might’ve ended up dead down here!” 

Sam froze, her eyebrows scrunching up, “Yeah…” 

She realized her mistake and immediately began to apologize. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it like that-”

“It’s ok, really. Let’s just get going.” Sam said continuing ahead.

After about five more minutes of walking they reached the turn Sam had mentioned. They took the right, which brought them to an uncomfortably small walkway. 

One by one they entered, slowly shuffling as they squeezed through the pathway. Once they were all on the other side, everyone took a moment to take a breath. Allyson seemed to be taking it harder than the rest of them.

Trent walked over to her side, gently rubbing her back, “Everything ok Allie?” 

She nodded, taking a deep breath, “Yeah, just a little claustrophobic. I’m all good though, we can keep going.” 

Sam took the lead again, map in front of her. As she was checking to see they were going the right way Trent gasped.

“Holy shit! Guys, come look at this!” he exclaimed, running away from the group. 

Sam looked up from the map and towards Trent to see an opening in the side of the mine, which overlooked the mountains outside. 

“Dang, I didn’t realize we were so high up…” Allyson said nervously.

“Well duh, we are on a mountain after all.” Dimitri said. 

“Shut it Dimitri. We’re in a mine, how was I supposed to know?”

Sam smiled and shook her head at their bickering. She walked closer to the cliff’s edge, taking in the view for a moment. This instance reminded her of Mike; how not even an hour ago she stood by his side gazing upon this very same view with him. All these events leading her to where she was seemed to happen so fast. It was only yesterday that she fought with him about coming here in the first place, when it felt like it was months ago. Just yesterday she was at home with him, kissing his lips under the covers of their bed. Now here they were, back in the place they had nightmares about to this day. The place where their friends died; the place where a small part of themselves died as well. 

She wondered if he was alright. Things happened so quickly on the mountain, anything could’ve happened by now… She mentally slapped herself. She can’t be thinking like that right now. Mike’s incredibly strong, and this isn’t the first time he’s been through this before. He’s probably just fine. 

“Am I going crazy, or did you guys hear that too?”

Sam turned around, giving Dimitri a questioning look, “What are you talking about?” 

Allyson nodded, “I heard it too, whatever it was…”

Suddenly, a blood curtling screech that Sam was all too familiar with rang through the air. 

“Ok, you can’t tell me you didn’t hear it that time Sam.” 

“No, I definitely heard it,” she groaned, “and I hate to break it to you guys, but I know that sound all too well.”

Everyone looked at her, slightly confused, until a wendigo came crawling in on the ceiling from the outside opening. 

Sam instantly froze in place. By now it was just instinct for her to stop moving whenever she saw a wendigo, but she quickly realized that the rest of the group was pretty much clueless. 

“Everyone, stay dead still. It won’t see you if you just stay still,” she said, speaking slowly and quietly.

All movement immediately stopped, just as Sam had hoped. The wendigo looked around, it’s milky white eyes passing by each person without a second thought. It continued to move along, passing over them. However, it decided to stop only feet above where Dimitri was standing. It looked around the space, showing no intention of moving any time soon. 

Dimitri became terrified as the creature stayed there. He looked around, his eyes begging someone to help him. 

Very slowly, Trent moved his hand towards his belt, reaching for his gun. Sam looked at him and shook her head. She knew well that if he shot the gun at the wendigo it would only make the situation much worse. 

He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. He seemed to be taking what she was saying into consideration, but also desperately wanted to help his friend. 

The wendigo dropped from the ceiling, standing up on it’s hind legs. It circled around Dimitri, looking around the room with intrigue. 

Without a second thought Trent pulled out his gun and shot at the wendigo. The bullet only barely missed it’s head, planting itself in the stone wall behind it. It turned towards Trent and unleashed one of it’s gut wrenching screams. Before anyone knew exactly what was happening, the wendigo was on top of Trent, it’s claws digging through his flesh. His cries for help were only heard for a moment before the air tuned dead silent.

The wendigo grabbed Trent’s body, pulling him out the way he came, most likely towards its lair. 

Allyson and Dimitri were paralyzed with shock, unsure of what to do. Tears built up in Allyson’s eyes as she covered her mouth in an attempt to quiet her sobs. Dimitri, on the other hand, had a cold look plastered on his face. He looked beyond pissed. 

Sam grabbed them both by the wrist, pulling them in the other direction. They each followed without complaint.

They walked in silence, dread hanging over them like a rain cloud ready to storm. Sam’s body felt heavy with guilt. She couldn’t stop thinking that she could’ve done something more. She could’ve fought a little harder, she should’ve told them all sooner. Maybe if she had…

Suddenly Dimitri halted. Allyson and Sam stopped and looked at him. 

Allyson walked towards him, gently resting a hand on his arm. “Come on, we need to get out of here. We need to find the others.” 

Dimitri ignored her, his eyes glued on Sam. He glared at her, tears brimming on the edge of his eyelids. 

“This… this is all your fault! He-he’s dead because of you!” 

Allyson stepped in, voice shaky and timid, “You know that’s not true…” 

He choked back his sobs, lip quivering, “He only wanted to come here because of you. He had seen the news reports, read all the files. He truly believed there was something worthwhile about your story that wasn’t being done justice.” He shook his head and scoffed, before continuing. “You know that the only reason we’re on this trip in the first place is because he thought it deserved to be solved. They would’ve forgotten about you, about Mike, about all of this. But his heart of gold just wouldn’t let that happen.” He stepped closer to her, right in her face. “Now he’s dead and it’s all your fault.” 

“Knock it off! You know damn well this isn’t her fault.” 

He rolled his eyes and continued forward, leaving the two of them behind.

Sam started tearing up again, using the palms of her hands to keep the tears at bay. “He’s right…”

“No, he’s not.” Allyson grabbed her hand, rubbing it softly in an effort to calm her down. “Now come on. That meathead is gonna get himself into serious trouble if we don’t keep up. 

Sam nodded and followed, a new weight weighing down in her chest. 

 

Mike’s POV

Officer Mason took the lead, pistol at the ready. Mike and Wren stayed close behind her, looking around with caution. They walked through several hallways and rooms, leading them deeper and deeper into the maze with no signs for where the noise could’ve come from. After nearly five minutes of wandering Wren stopped, planting his hands on his hips. 

“I don’t know guys, maybe we were just hearing shit.” 

Mike shrugged, “I don’t know, I guess it’s possible.” 

Just then, a couple of rats scurried out from a pile of rotting garbage. Their tiny feet pitter pattered along the cement floor as they ran to a crack in the wall. 

“Really, that’s it!?” Wren exclaimed, clearly frustrated. “We got all worked up over some dumb rats.”

Officer Mason sighed, sliding her gun back into it’s holster. “I’ll take rats over a murderer anyday.” 

“I second that.” Mike agreed. 

Behind them a bark echoed down the sanitorium halls. They all whipped around in surprise. Standing behind them was a furry face Mike was more than happy to see. Wolfie stood before them. His fur was gray and dirty but his tail wagged behind him in excitement. Once he had noticed Mike, he began barking and running straight for him.

“Holy shit, Mike move it!” Wren shouted, shoving Mike to the side. He grabbed his gun, aiming for Wolfie. 

“No, no, stop it Wren!” Mike says, pushing his gun away right before Wren fired it. The bullet thankfully missed, instead shattering part of an already broken window.

Mike smiled and kneeled, opening his arms for the wolf. He gladly accepted the offering, pushing him to the ground and licking his face. 

Officer Mason and Wren looked at him with confusion. Slowly and carefully, she approached Mike. 

“Would you like to explain what’s going on Michael?”

Mike looked up at her, grinning from ear to ear. He gently pushed Wolfie off of him as he stood up and brushed his pants off. 

“Last time I came here I met Wolfie. We sort of bonded, and now he loves following me around.” He scratched the back of his head, “but last time I saw him we had been split up. I guess you could say it’s been a little while.” He said, patting Wolfie on the head. 

Wren crossed his arms, “Did you just call him Wolfie?”

“Yeah?”

He laughed, “That’s not very creative.” 

“Well I’m sorry, naming him wasn’t exactly the first thing on my mind at the time.” 

Officer Mason rolled her eyes at their dispute before interrupting them. “You’re bickering is very entertaining and all, but we really should start picking up the pace. We don’t have all night.” 

Mike nodded, “Right, let’s go.” 

As they began their walking again, Wolfie was right behind them. Wren glanced back at him a couple times before bringing it up to Mike. 

“Is he gonna be following us the rest of the way or something?” 

Mike smirked, “Why, is there a problem with that?”

“What? No! I just,” he thought for a moment, “I just don’t want him to be a distraction or anything.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll be just fine.” 

The group remained quiet for some time after that. The deeper they got into the building, the more the creepy atmosphere settled in around them. They walked through the halls with a mix of curiosity and caution; examining all the little details of the place while also keeping an eye out for danger. Most of the stuff Mike had already seen before, but every now and then something new caught his eye. 

Eventually they reached a room that brought nothing but bad memories for Mike; the room where he lost his fingers. He stopped dead in his tracks once he realized what the room was, a sense of anxiety washing over him as he relived the moment in his mind.

Officer Mason noticed him tense. “Is everything alright?” 

He nodded, “Yeah, just got caught off guard for a minute there. I’ll be ok.” 

Slowly they walked through the room, Wren and Officer Mason taking a mental note of how uncomfortable the room made him. Mike looked around the room, wondering if his missing parts were even there anymore or if some animal had taken them for an afternoon snack. 

His question was answered when Wren groaned out in disgust. 

There, on the table in the middle of the room was the bear trap. Stuck inside it were his fingers, at least somewhat. They were decayed and rotted. Bits of flesh were missing in spots, showing the bone underneath it. 

Mike had to cover his mouth and look away to keep himself from throwing up. 

Officer Mason quickly looked away as well, her face appearing a bit pale. She waved them over as she rushed out of the room.

They passed through more rooms filled with strange contraptions. Shelves and cupboards contained odd looking bottles and glass jars filled a gross looking substance. 

Soon enough they came upon the back entrance to the chapel. The key card slot had been broken, as it was currently hanging off of the wall. 

Wren turned to them and shrugged, “Makes our job a whole lot easier.” 

He slowly pushed the door open, and it creaked as he did so. It opened up to the chapel, which was the biggest room they had been in yet; not counting the entrance that is. 

The ceiling had a huge chunk out of it, it’s remnants scattered on the floor below. Each of them entered, splitting up to check out different sections. 

Mike began by searching for some sort of weapon; anything that could be used for self defense really. He clearly remembers finding guns and things of that sort here before. It was just for backup, he didn’t want to take any chances this time around. 

He looked to his side and chuckled to himself. Wolfie was sticking his nose into all sorts of different things, trying his best to help out.

As he was digging through some drawers, Officer Mason called them over. 

She turned to them, motioning towards the chainlink fence, “Michael, have you been in here before?” 

His breath caught in his throat, but he nodded, “I have, but I’m not so sure going in there is such a good idea.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Why not?”

“There’s some pretty nasty stuff on the other side of that fence.” 

“Like the things that hurt you before?”

He nodded slowly.

Officer Mason gave him a sympathetic look. “Then I can understand why you would be worried. But I need you to know that I won’t let you get hurt. We simply won’t let that happen. I promise you, you’re safe with us.”

Mike faked a smile and nodded. She broke the lock to the gate and in that moment he knew he would have to face the wendigos again, whether he was ready to or not. There was no convincing her to turn back, so he instead looked ahead with his head held high. After all, he had police officers with him this time. How bad could it really be? Besides, everything’s easier the second time around.


End file.
